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Although stories and histories vary among individuals, many rape crisis centers were born out of the "the second wave" of the women's movement when women began to speak out about their experiences with sexual assault in what was then known as consciousness raising groups. Naming their abuse and sharing their pain became an important part of their healing process. Through this experience, women saw that there were many aspects of their experiences that were similar and that had to be changed. From victim blaming, to short sentences for heinous crimes, victims were outraged and wanted to do something about it.
In 1971, a small group of women, determined that rape victims would not have to go through their trauma alone and in isolation, started a program in a storefront in Uptown Minneapolis. The program was later absorbed by a larger agency in Minneapolis. Soon, programs followed in both St. Paul and Duluth. These initial programs were primarily volunteer staffed and offered 24 hour crisis lines, support groups and a mechanism for victims, volunteers and communities to begin speaking out. In 1974, the legislature mandated the Commissioner of Corrections to develop a statewide community-based program to aid victims of sexual attacks. In 1975, the Minnesota Program for Victims of Sexual Assault in the Department of Corrections was created to fund and provide assistance to sexual assault programs statewide. From this, additional programs began to spring up all over the state.
As more programs were started in Minnesota communities to address the issue of sexual violence many felt that they were working in isolation, taking on controversial issues without community support, and unable to take time away from working with victims to address the emerging statewide needs. To meet this growing need, programs began making plans for a larger statewide organization to assist them in their work. Then, in 1978, a group of women got together and discussed the need to have a statewide voice specifically on the issue of sexual violence.
It is from that discussion that the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) was born. MNCASA began as a grassroots, rather loosely organized group that met to share resources and support. Its purpose grew as the field grew to include educational opportunities, technical assistance to programs and systems and public education through public policy and media awareness. As the Coalition grew in numbers and sophistication as its member organizations flourished and the scope of Coalition work changed. MNCASA incorporated in 1981 and began to seek funding for its specialized focus on sexual violence.
Today the Coalition strives to address sexual violence in as many aspects as possible. Our mission drives our work. Our current program structure consists of:
We are constantly striving to provide the most state of the art service with consistency, expertise and professionalism. MNCASA prides itself on respond to emerging issues and trends, while maintaining an excellent level of service.
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